1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable and portable bathing assembly to be used in bed, such as for handicapped, aged people, and for ill patients in hospitals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,336 issued on Apr. 2, 1974 to Hoxeng for a portable bed bath. It includes a waterproof sheet that forms the bath tub. However, it differs from the present invention because it needs a frame for the sheet to be installed around the bed. This patented invention's frame can not be used with any bed since it needs frames of different dimensions for each kind of bed.
Another design for a portable, self-contained bathing apparatus for incapacitated bedridden individuals is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,257 issued on Oct. 21, 1997 to Morcate et al. This patented invention, however, requires the use of telescopic members 32 with the need to provide for these design features.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.